“You did your alchemy here on this site to turn charred coals into art,” said France’s President Emmanuel Macron after he toured the newly restored Notre Dame. Five years since the cathedral caught fire, the iconic Parisian landmark is finally reopening to the public.
The Notre-Dame de Paris was first built in the 12th century and has remained an emblem of French Gothic architecture ever since, beloved by locals and travelers alike. Before the fire, the cathedral saw around 12 million visitors each year—a number expected to rise to 15 million post-reconstruction, according to National Geographic.
On Saturday December 7, 2024, Notre Dame will host a reopening ceremony to celebrate, before opening to visitors the following day. The ceremony will “have solemn rituals, grand opera, heads of state and high security,” reports ABC. Trump announced that he would be present at the event (the fire occurred during his first term as US president in 2019.) The ceremony comes at a time of political turmoil for France as it’s government nears collapse.
The aftermath of the fire was not without its own inferno, too. As soon as the news broke in April 2019, dozens of French billionaires began pledging donations to help rebuild it. Gucci owner François-Henri Pinault offered £90 million, for example, while LVMH’s Arnault family promised around £166 million—although, come July, Notre Dame officials told The Guardian that no money had materialized, delaying the building’s renovations.
Restoration will continue into the new year, and more celebrations will be announced to honor the building’s 860-year history. If you plan to visit the cathedral within its first week of opening, you’ll need to get a free ticket—be prepared to queue. See our guide for more of the best things to do in Paris.
If you’re looking to travel to Paris to experience the re-opening of Notre Dame, look no further than our guide to the best hotels in Paris. We’ve also popped some of the hotels closest to the landmark below:
